What is Considered a Dental Emergency in Children

you should always address dental emergency in children as soon as possible. Like any other child health emergency, a child dental emergency is a nightmare for parents. However, most parents do not know what to consider as children’s dental emergency. The billion-dollar question is ‘what is a pediatric dental emergency?’ As a parent, when you notice excessive bleeding, severe baby teeth pain, and tooth damage, it is time to contact an emergency pediatric dentist.

Luna pediatric dentistry is the best kids emergency dentist near Sugarland and Richmond. We are devoted to restoring a lifetime of smiles on parents and their kids. In this research-based comprehensive guide, we have compiled a list of everything parents need to know about child dental emergency including sedation dentistry. As most parents ask, we have also responded to most of the frequently asked questions regarding a child toothache emergency. Read on to learn more.

Common Children Dental Emergencies

Do you have a chipped or broken tooth? Is one of your permanent tooth broken? Knowing how to handle a child’s dental emergency properly goes a long way in protecting the dental health of your child. Most parents want to know what they have to do in a dental emergency in children. However, it is essential to properly diagnose and understand the problem to solve a problem effectively. This is to say, proper knowledge of what children’s dental emergency is, is the first and essential step in solving the issue. To help you know when there is a crisis, we have compiled a list of common dental emergencies in children. Let’s quickly look at some of these emergency issues that you need to be on the lookout for.

Knocked Out tooth

This is very common in children. As the name suggest, knocked out tooth is when the baby’s teeth completely dislodge from its socket. It mostly occurs when children are out playing. For example, a child may fall off a bike when cycling or blunt force like being hit with a sports ball leading to knocking out of the teeth.

What You Need To Do

In most cases, parents do not consider this as an emergency. You can follow the following steps to save your child if this happens.

• Pick the tooth by its crown without touching the root.
• Try rinsing the tooth. When rinsing, avoid scrubbing and be careful not to remove any attached tissues.
• Insert the clean tooth back into the socket. While inserting, be careful not to damage the pulp.
• Hold the tooth in place for a few seconds.
• Contact pediatric dentist emergency. If you are near Sugarland and Richmond, contact the pediatric dentist in Richmond.

However, if you cannot do this, consider it an emergency that requires you to contact emergency pediatric dentistry. Put the tooth in a glass of milk and then rush to the nearest emergency dentist for kids. Time is of great essence for knocked-out baby teeth.

Severe Toothache

In many cases, toothaches occur without a cause or at least without a known cause. A toothache can range from a minor issue to a significant complication.

Causes:

• Food sticking in the child’s tooth
• Tooth decay
• Wisdom teeth eruption
• Tooth trauma

When your child complains of a toothache:

• Rinse their mouth with clean, warm water to remove food particles
• Examine the teeth to see if anything is stick stuck between the teeth.
• If you find a food particle, gently dislodge it using dental floss
• If the pain persists even after removing the stuck particles, there may be other reasons for the toothache, as aforementioned.
• Immediately contact emergency dental for kids near you.

It is not advisable to directly apply ice on the child’s gums or tooth as it may damage sensitive tissues. You can offer comfort or reduce swelling by using a cold compress.

Tooth Fracture

This occurs when the crown (the visible part of the tooth) cracks. It may be minor or severe as the tooth may chip, fracture or break. Either way, fractures are painful and result in weird sensations such as laxity and numbness around the tooth. Fractures, chipping, and breaking may result from internal damage, in which case it is dangerous to oral health in children.

In case of tooth fractures and braking;

• Clean the area affected with warm water. Do not use mouthwash or salt.
• Apply a cold compress on the injured area
• Give your child painkillers like children’s Tylenol or acetaminophen if the pain is unbearable.
• Rush your child to the emergency pediatric dentist, who will determine the severity of the issue.

Object Stuck Between the Teeth

Kids are kids. They may not be able to tell what is dangerous or not. As they play, they may often stick objects in their teeth like food items and threads. You can easily handle this at home unless it is severe.

• All you need to do is gently try and remove the object with floss. Avoid using sharp and pointed objects as they may destroy sensitive parts like gums.
• If the object cannot come out, it is time you contact emergency dental for kids.

Tooth Sensitivity

You may notice your child’s teeth are becoming sensitive to hot or cold things. This is possible. Like adults, children may also experience teeth sensitivity.

Causes:

• New teeth
• Cracked, fractured, or broken tooth
• Improper brushing and generally poor oral-health in children
• Allergic reactions on sinuses
• Cavity catastrophes

If this occurs, contact the emergency kids dentist, who will first diagnose the cause of the sensitivity and then propose the best solution. Most parents decide to use desensitizing toothpaste, but this is not good unless advised by a pediatric dentist.

Tongue/lip Bite or Cut and Other Mouth Injuries

Injuries in the mouth of your children like tears, bites, cuts, and punctures on the cheek, lip, and tongue can constitute a dental emergency. Though they are usually minor incidences, they may be severe in some cases. This can even happen to older children during chewing and playing.

In case it happens, stay composed and do the following:

• Gently clean the area affected with warm water.
• Try controlling and minimizing the swelling around the injured area.
• If the wound bleeds, use a clean piece of gauze or cloth to apply pressure.
• Give your child some painkillers like acetaminophen to relieve pain.
• In more severe cases, pressure alone may not reduce the swelling. It is essential to contact an emergency kid’s dentist in such a case.

Tooth Intrusion/Trauma

A severe blow in the head or a child falling on the face may result in tooth trauma. It may result in the tooth being jammed into the jawbone. The result is always critical and severe in most cases, requiring emergency response.

In case it happens, and you realize the effect is not significant, do the following:

• Remove dirt and blood from the child’s mouth by rinsing with clean, warm water.
• Stop bleeding by applying pressure.
• If the child can bear the pain, have them bite the gauze gently.
• Reduce the swelling using a cold compress.
• Use pediatric painkillers like children’s Tylenol or Acetaminophen to reduce the pain.

If the intrusion is severe, get your child to the nearest pediatric dentistry as soon as possible. In some cases, this may be problematic such that the child may require more intensive dental treatment, especially when:

• Persistent, uncontrollable bleeding
• Severe swelling near the gums and face

Dental Concussion

We can say a tooth is concussed if it remains in the sockets after a hit or a bump. It is the opposite of a knockout where the tooth falls out. It results in pain and a loose feeling as the tooth falls out. If you do not carefully handle this, it may result in temporary or permanent tooth discoloration.

What You Need To Do in Case of Dental Emergency in Children

You do not have to seek emergency pediatric dental services with concussed teeth. However, when the tooth starts turning dark or black, you must contact pediatric dental emergencies. Discoloration means the tooth is dying; hence root canal may be necessary.

If you do not see signs of decay or death, treat the concussion like you would treat a toothache.

• Use warm water to rinse the area.
• Apply pressure using a cold compress to reduce and control swelling
• Painkillers like acetaminophen relieve pain.

Jaw Fracture or Break

This is a severe dental emergency that can cause panic in parents. However, stay calm if you notice your child has a broken or fractured jaw. Apply pressure on the area using a cold compress to control swelling. When applying pressure, be cautious enough to keep the jaw from moving.

Immediately contact an emergency kids dentist for comprehensive treatment.

Loose or Lost Fillings

Parents whose children have fillings in their teeth are likely to experience this dental issue. These filling may be lost, dislodged, or become loose. Once the filling moves from its rightful position, it leaves the unprotected tooth underneath exposed. This may be very dangerous. The exposure may:

• Lead to extreme sensitivity issues in the affected area.
• Cause tooth decays the growth of microorganisms like Bacteria.

Once you realize this has happened, you must schedule a child dental emergency visit immediately. It is vital to replace the fillings as soon as possible.

Oral Infections

In most case oral infections do not constitute a dental emergency. However, if you notice difficulty breathing and swallowing, and swelling around the jawline, you may have to contact pediatric dentist emergency services.

Other infections like Dental Abscess are severe. The infection forms inside the root of a tooth. If not treated, the painful condition creates pus, leading to several severe dental issues.

• Facial swelling
• Difficulty in breathing
• Swollen lymph nodes around the neck and jaws
• Tooth sensitivity
• Persistent and severe toothache

If you notice such signs, your child may be suffering from a dental abscess. Make an emergency pediatric dentistry visit to establish the cause of the infection and get treatment.

Identifying Dental Emergency in Children

It is not easy for parents to keep track of severe versus minor dental problems, especially in young children. In most cases, children cannot describe their pain or what is wrong with them. However, you can use the following signs to tell if there is a dental emergency.

• Symptoms of infection
• Bleeding
• Tooth damage

These are just signs. For example, bleeding itself is not an emergency. However, it may signify a severe underlying issue such as fractures, trauma, or concussion.

Protecting Your Child’s Teeth

We say prevention is better than cure. We advice parents to protect their children’s oral health to avoid some of these dental emergency issues. Staying proactive in your child’s preventive care is one of the best ways to avoid dental emergencies. Protecting oral health in children means avoiding future severe complications like decays and creating awareness about kids emergency dentist near Sugarland and Richmond.

Things you can do to protect your little one’s teeth:

• Regular dental check-ups.
• Cut on teeth unhealthy foods like candies.
• Proper oral health is proper brushing, flossing, and rinsing.

You can learn more about protecting baby teeth from the pediatric dentist near you.

Frequently Asked Questions about Dental Emergency in Children

The following are our responses to some of the frequently asked questions about dental emergencies in children.

What do I do if my child cracks a tooth?

If your child cracks a tooth, start by rinsing the mouth with warm, clean water around the area. Next, put pressure on the face to control swelling using a cold compress. Visit your child’s dentist as soon as possible.

What if my child knocks out their tooth?

First, examine the situation to make sure it is not severe. In case of a knocked-out permanent tooth, keep it in a clean container, add milk, and proceed to the pediatric dentist. For a baby tooth, try and put back the tooth in the socket and hold it in place for a few minutes, then proceed to visit your child’s dentist.

How do I treat toothache in my child?

In case of toothaches, start by rinsing the mouth with clean, warm water to clean it out. Gently remove any food particle stuck between the teeth using dental floss. Contact your child’s dentist if the pain persists even after removing the food particle.

How do I remove objects that are stuck between my child’s teeth?

Gently try to remove the object with floss. When removing the stuck things, avoid sharp pointed objects as they may injure your child’s gums and other sensitive parts. If the object is not coming out, visit your child’s dentist.

How do I treat a tongue or lip bite?

First, you have to clean the area with clean or warm water gently. Apply pressure on the spot to control swelling using a cold compress. Contact an emergency kids dentist near Sugarland for professional treatment if you are in Sugarland.

Summary

Are you looking for a professional pediatric emergency dentist in Richmond to address Dental Emergency in Children that you can count on? We offer several pediatric dental services at Luna pediatric dentistry, including sedation dentistry, emergency dental care and early dental care. Contact Luna Pediatric dentistry today for all your pediatric dental needs or for a kids emergency dentist near Sugerland. We are here to serve your family and restore smiles. Schedule an appointment today! Click here for children emergency dentist in richmond texas.